Nikolai wasn't sure how long they remained in the alcove. Long enough that his legs were full of pins and needles, but he didn't move. He wouldn't until Nastasia did. So far, the only thing she'd done was twist around so she could hide her face in his neck. Neither of them had said a word.

Nikolai stroked her snowy hair soothingly, listening while she drew another breath. It was deeper than her previous ones. Good, she's calming down, he thought to himself. He waited a few more minutes before speaking. "Shall we brood here all night, Princess, or would you like to stretch your legs?"

Nastasia gave a faint chuckle, easing something within him. "You're just saying that because your legs fell asleep ages ago."

"Well, we aren't all tiny Mountain Dwarfs, are we?"

"I'm not a Dwarf," she huffed.

"I suppose not," Nikolai conceded.

Nastasia might be short, but she wasn't quite as short as the Mountain Dwarfs who dwelled in the west. Nor was she as stocky as they were said to be. All Dwarfs were broad-shouldered and heavy-set, their bodies packed with muscles thanks to their mining lifestyle.

The Dwarf kingdom was built within and beneath the Anvil Mountains, and no Nyctolian dared infringe upon Dwarf land without an invitation, so feared and respected were they. The two kingdoms held a strange sort of relationship with one another and had since Nyctoli's formation.

Legends claimed Nyctoli was first founded by two Dwarfs born of clay and water. Dimitri and Inesa of the Chasm were formed from clay that had been molded by the currents of a great underground river. When the river ran dry, their clay forms hardened and became flesh and bone.

Dimitri and Inesa woke in the chasm and were greeted by a Strix, a winged warrior who served the Two-Faced Goddess and bore a message from her. She promised the Dwarfs the land they were born from if they could find a way to carry themselves out of the chasm within a fortnight.

Dimitri and Inesa accepted the Goddess's challenge and built the First Forge from mud and stones, and lit it using a kernel of dragon fire, still burning with heat, that they uncovered in the earth. They mined precious metals and forged them into climbing tools, which they used to haul themselves out of the chasm.

The Dwarfs accomplished this feat in seven days, half of the time the Goddess allotted them. True to her word, the Goddess gifted them the land and promised that a great nation would be born of the earth to follow them. Dimitri and Inesa became the first King and Queen of Nyctoli, and the Dwarfs who came after built many cities across the country, carving their history upon the walls they raised.

When Humans began to migrate from other lands across the land of Damir, the Dwarves chose to yield their land rather than be driven from it. They settled in the mountains and Humans settled across the country.

To maintain peaceful relations between the conjoined kingdoms, the Dwarfs began trading mined goods and forged metalworks with Nyctolians in exchange for food, textiles, and other such products. Ambassadors from both kingdoms still met yearly to renew the alliance.

Nikolai found the entire diplomatic process fascinating. In fact, he enjoyed learning about politics in general, and it greatly amused him that Nastasia and Alexei did not, considering they were Royals and he was just a stablehand. Nikolai blinked, the thought dredging up mental reminders he'd forgotten about completely. "Damn," he muttered under his breath.

Nastasia lifted her head. "What is it?"

"I probably should've been in the courtyard to help with the Ambassadors' horses when they arrived." He raked his fingers through his curls with a sigh. "Mother and Volya are going to boil me alive."

"Goddess spare you," Nastasia snickered. Then, her moonlit gaze grew concerned. "Will you actually get into trouble? Shall I tell them you were with me? I can come up with some sort of excuse, I'm sure."

Nikolai shook his head with a grateful smile. "I'll be fine. I'll sneak out with Mischa and Yuri tonight and stay in sight tomorrow."

"All right, but if you wind up dead, I'll be very upset."

"As will I." Nikolai let his arms fall as Nastasia crawled back into the shaft. He followed when she was well out of the way. It didn't take long for them to reach the corridor.

"I'll go back to my room from here," Nastasia said. "Hopefully I'll have some time to get cleaned up before Mother and Father come speak with me." She curled her hands into fists. "I'm sure I'll have a formal dinner to attend tonight."

"I'll think of you when I'm sipping Blodian whiskey and watching Mischa dominate the boxing ring," Nikolai replied. Nastasia rolled her eyes with a sigh. He chucked her chin and smirked. "I'll see you later, Nasi."

"Maybe I won't want to see you," she retorted as he walked down the opposite end of the corridor. He merely shook his head with a laugh. "Nikolai," she called. He paused and looked back. There was a hint of pink in Nastasia's pale cheeks. "Thank you."

"Of course, your Highness." He bowed his head and continued on his way.

•༻᯽༺•

Nastasia grimaced as she was pushed and prodded into an altogether too extravagant gown. She hated courtly attire and likely always would. The only reason she bothered with it was to appease her parents. Her mother would be furious if she showed up to a formal dinner in trousers.

Nastasia sucked in a breath as the handmaidens pinned the side seams of her gown shut. She let her thoughts roam, seeing as the maids seemed disinclined to speak to her. Now that her moment of panic was gone, Nastasia could think clearly about what had transpired. It had been a number of weeks since her last attack. Nikolai had helped her through that one too. He'd been helping her through them since they first became an issue.

He had been the one who discovered that tight embraces helped settle her and draw her out of her thoughts. He was the one who figured out that she needed silence to calm down. And the nickname, Moonlight...

It was rare for Nikolai to call her that, except when he desperately needed her attention or was truly worried. The reason he used it so sparingly was because Nastasia didn't like it. Or rather, she pretended she didn't like it. In truth, the only thing she didn't like about the nickname was how she forgot to breathe whenever he spoke it.

The handmaidens withdrew and Nastasia turned to eye herself in the mirror. The gown she'd been stuffed into was floor-length with a sweeping train and long slit sleeves that buttoned at her wrists. The neckline sat at the very tips of her shoulders and exposed a broad portion of her chest. Her mother wasn't against the depth of the neckline, as Nastasia hadn't anything notable for men to ogle. The bodice hugged her figure down to her waist, where it formed a definite V.

The underlayer of her gown was made of a thick silver material and heavily embroidered with even more silver. A strip of white ran down the entire center of the gown and was adorned with sapphires in lue of buttons. The outer layer of the gown was also sapphire with silver trimming and embroidery. Her hair hung in loose waves down to the center of her back. The only jewelry she wore was a sapphire ribbon around her throat.

Nastasia glanced over her shoulder as her bedroom door opened. Queen Serafima breezed in, her critical eye already inspecting Nastasia's appearance. "Is she ready?" She asked the handmaidens. The women nodded and Serafima offered her a hand. "Come then. Your father and brother are waiting."

Nastasia slipped her hand into her mother's and followed her out the door. "Did anything of interest happen at the Council meeting?" She asked, her mouth running dry.

Serafima didn't answer and they reached the dining hall before Nastasia could question her again. Gavriil and Alexei were waiting at the door. Her father greeted her with a warm smile while Alexei's seemed tense. Nastasia took her place beside her brother and followed their parents inside.

The members of the Council rose as the Royal Family entered. When the King and Queen sat, everyone followed suit. Nastasia found herself seated beside the Treasurer, Vadim, whom she had no interest in speaking to. She gazed around the rest of the party instead.

The four Ambassadors sat near Galina, Master of Foreign Relations. Spymaster Vasili and War General Nikita sat together, close to the King as usual. None of the twelve Lords of Estate were in attendance, which wasn't uncommon. They were busy overseeing Nyctoli's twelve great cities.

Briefly, Nastasia wondered if her father had sent out summons to them yet. She pushed the thought aside the next moment, but it was too late. Her appetite was all but gone as she recalled the terrible prospect she'd overheard earlier.

She gulped when the servants entered, carrying pitchers of wine and platters of food. Nastasia pasted a smile onto her lips and lowered her head, hoping no one would notice the shadows that curled around her fingers.

•༻᯽༺•

By some miracle, Nikolai managed to avoid running into his mother and brother when he hurried away from the palace. However, his relief was short-lived when he found his mother already at home, chopping turnips with unusual vigor. "'Control that boy, else I'll take a whip to him the next time he shirks his duty,' Andrey swore to me," Maria Yensev said, not looking up from her work.

"I'll speak with him," Nikolai replied.

Her knife dug into the cutting board with a dull whack. Nikolai cringed despite himself. "I already did. It's the only reason you haven't been give a lashing."

"Does...Volya know?"

"He knows everything that goes on in the palace. You know that." Maria lifted her head, closing her eyes briefly. Tendrils of dark curly hair hung loose around her face, and not for the first time, Nikolai noticed the streaks of gray running through them. His mother had been managing the Royal Household since before he was born. Her many years of service were starting to catch up to her. Maria set her knife down and turned to face him. "What was it this time?"

"Nastasia learned something upsetting and it took a while for her to calm down. I didn't want to leave her alone until I knew she'd be all right."

Maria heaved a sigh. "Serafima spoke to me about what is going on. I imagine that's what upset Nastasia?" Nikolai nodded. "I know the two of you are close, Nik, but perhaps it's time to put some distance between yourselves."

He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off. "Think about it this way. If she is betrothed to Emperor Kazimir, she must learn to cope without you, and you without her. She will become Empress of Andrian, and you won't be able to be her friend any longer. Besides...it will be less painful, especially for you."

Nikolai clenched his jaw, looking away. "I can't leave her now. She would feel abandoned."

"Nastasia is a smart woman. She will understand."

"I couldn't live with myself."

"Will you be able to live with yourself when she's miserable and wed to the Emperor of another kingdom? Would you give her false hope of continuing your friendship after her marriage even when you know it will be impossible? When you'll be hundreds of miles apart and destined never to share two words again?"

"It won't be impossible."

"Yes, it will," Maria snapped. "And if Kazimir learns the truth, do you think he will hesitate to have you killed and thrown into the sea?"

"He wouldn't bother with me. I'm a nobody."

"Not to her." Nikolai didn't reply. Maria crossed the kitchen and stared up at him until he finally returned her gaze. "I only wish to spare you both unnecessary pain."

"I know." Nikolai backed towards the door. "I'll stay with Mischa tonight so Volya has some time to cool off."

"Avoiding your brother has never solved anything."

"No, but it does postpone an inevitable fight." Maria didn't protest when he slipped out the door and sprinted down the cobblestone street.